Understanding the Patient Intake Process

The intake process begins when a patient calls to make an appointment and resumes when the patient visits the medical facility. The purpose of the intake process is to gather new or confirm patient information like name, address, date of birth, and insurance. This process is often different from one facility to another but the purpose is the same.
Just like any other business, a physician depends on a satisfied patient. The patient needs to be happy for the time they walk in the door until the time all balances are paid-in-full. This begins with the patient intake process.
Patient information can be collected in several different ways. A person is calling requesting a new patient appointment, if there is more than two weeks before that patient is going to be seen in the office the paperwork can be mailed. The paperwork will ask for personal information like name, address, date of birth, who to contact in case of an emergency and medical history. This will give the patient time to fill out the necessary paperwork on their time and bring it with them when they arrive for their initial appointment.
If sending the forms out is not an option, then the patient will have to fill them out once they arrive at the medical facility. With technology on the rise, having a website that a patient can access would be very beneficial. Patients would be able to access a secure website to electronically fill out required paperwork or have the forms sent to the personal e-mail account to be completed and returned electronically or printed off and brought in to the facility.
For the “tech savvy” patient that was unable to electronically fill out forms before arriving to the office, having access upon arrival would also be beneficial. Having a computer or tablet available to the patient to allow them to complete necessary forms could improve the intake process. Addison Health System offers a WriteTouch program that allows patients to complete their intake screens online...